After he almost hit pregnant Hayley with a wrench earlier in the week, Keanu went to the character to apologise, and told her all about his new-found violent side.

EastEnders cast: The character, played by Katie Jarvis, was seen bonding with Keanu Taylor in recent scenes [BBC]

EastEnders cast: Viewers were quick to question Hayley's voice as they admitted their concern for the character [BBC]

Hayley sympathised with him, and told a story about a man she knew growing up who had beaten up his girlfriend so badly that she was hospitalised.

Pointing out the differences between that man and Keanu, who was visibly upset over his dark side emerging, Hayley reassured him that he's not a bad guy, saying she "knows a wrong'un when she sees one."

The chat seemed to put Keanu in good spirits but fans at home were left distracted by the scenes as they noticed Hayley's new, huskier, voice and rushed to social media to express their concern for the Slater.

EastEnders cast: Keanu, played by Danny Walters, has recently been struggling with his temper [BBC]

Taking to Twitter, one posted: "Jesus Christ, how many fags has Hayley been smoking? #EastEnders," while another noted: "Ok, Hayley's voice is weird #EastEnders."

Similarly, a third viewer wrote: "#EastEnders how many fags does Hayley smoke a day?? Ffs shes just a kid."

As a fourth asked: "Couldn't give Hayley some time to get her voice back? Listening to this is painful. #eastenders

EastEnders cast: Fans have called for Keanu and Hayley to become a couple, despite the fact she's pregnant with Alfie Moon's baby [BBC]